Description

Ærena is a tactical turn-based strategy game set in a fantasy universe. It is played between two heroes aboard a ship floating in the air, each on the side of a platform divided into different tiles. To win a match the health of the opponent's ship needs to be depleted. Games can be played against computer or human opponents, both offline and online. It also supports cross-platform matches between all supported platforms.

During a match each side can deploy three champions, each with different weapons for close combat and ranged attacks, and statistics based on health, damage and movement, and with two special attacks. The different levels each have their own lay-out, based on the number of tiles, obstacles, and special tiles such as æther tiles that provide a bonus, or death tiles. As the playfield floats in the air, a number of attacks can shove champions into the void. When champions are defeated they respawn and a match continues until one of the heroes is defeated. Targeting heroes is either done by directly attacking the ship or by defeating the champions.

As a turn-based game each side has a chance to move and attack. Champions have health and can collect æther by destroying other champions, surviving a round or moving to a special tile. When a sufficient amount has been collected, the two special attacks become available, dealing much more damage. While most of the game is played from a hovering view with free zooming, many of these special attacks are shown from up close using a different perspective. The heroes' ships can also attack using shells when they collect æther. These provide bonuses to the own champions, damage the opponents' champions, or directly attack the other ship. Heroes have their own experience and can level up to receive bonuses.

The included game modes are campaign, casual, practice and ranked (with online seasons). There are also career quests, daily challenges, and badges are earned by completing objectives. Through the in-game shops additional items can be bought, using an in-game cash currency combined with a premium coin currency. Available items include new ships for the heroes, additional champions, shell packages, ship skins, and champion skins.

The game was original launched as a commercial PC alpha / early access title with DLC packs. When it was officially released, and coinciding with the release of the mobile versions, it was turned into a free-to-play title with a premium currency, in-app purchases and DLC packs. In February 2015 the game was re-released for PC as Ærena: Masters Edition with the same content, but changing the free-to-play concept to a commercial release with all content unlocked and an optional skin pack as DLC.